Research on Ashwagandha shows it helps reduce stress and inflammation in the body, leading to a slew of other health benefits from sleep to sports nutrition, cognitive health, sexual function and more. However, ensuring the Ayurvedic herb is potent, safe and properly harvest is at the root (pun intended) of concern for supplement brands that wish to supply ashwagandha to its consumers.

Research on ashwagandha shows it helps reduce stress and inflammation in the body, leading to a slew of other health benefits from sleep to sports nutrition, cognitive health, sexual function and more. However, ensuring the Ayurvedic herb is potent, safe and properly harvest is at the root (pun intended) of concern for supplement brands that wish to supply ashwagandha to its consumers. In this podcast Heather Granato, vice president of content, Informa Exhibition’s health and nutrition network, and Sandy Almendarez, editor in chief, INSIDER, discuss:

  • A recent trip Granato took to India to film ashwagandha harvesting from the field to the production facility.

  • An Ayurvedic hospital that uses practices from the traditional healing system to treat patients.

  • Why Informa Exhibition’s associate producer Charlie English starting taking ashwaganhda.

For more information on ashwagandha, check out Informa’s new content marketing site ashwagandaadvantage.com, sponsored by KSM-66 Ashwagandha, where you can see reports, blogs, infographics, digital magazines, and—in late March 2017—the documentary that is referenced in this podcast.

About the Author(s)

Heather Granato

VP, Partnerships & Sustainability, Informa Markets, Food EMEA division

Heather Granato is a 30-year veteran of the natural products industry, currently serving as vice president, partnerships & sustainability, in the Food EMEA division of Informa Markets. She is based in London, and leads efforts related to industry partnerships and broader sustainability initiatives for the Vitafoods and Food ingredients brands. She has been a presenter at events including SupplySide, Vitafoods, Food ingredients, Natural Products Expo, the Natural Gourmet Show and the Folio: Show. Her publishing experience includes Natural Products Insider, Food Product Design, Vitafoods Insights, Country Living's Healthy Living, Natural Foods Merchandiser, Delicious Magazine and WomenOf.com. Granato serves as the founding president of Women In Nutraceuticals, a global non-profit founded in 2022 focused on empowering women in the nutraceutical industry; she is also on the board of directors for the Organic & Natural Health Association. From 2016 to 2022, she was a vice president on the national governing board of Kappa Alpha Theta women’s fraternity. Granato was named to the FOLIO: 100 list of top media professionals in 2018, and was selected as a 2015 Top Woman in Media by FOLIO:. She received the 2014 Visionary Award and the 2018 Journalistic Excellence Award from the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA); and was honored with the CEO Merit Award for Content from Virgo in 2014. Granato graduated magna cum laude from the University of Richmond, Virginia, in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.

Sandy Almendarez

VP of Content, Informa

Summary

• Well-known subject matter expert within the health & nutrition industry with more than 15 years’ experience reporting on natural products.

• She cares a lot about how healthy products are made, where their ingredients are sourced and how they affect human health.

• She knows that it’s the people behind the businesses — their motivations, feelings and emotions — drive industry growth, so that’s where she looks for content opportunities.

Sandy Almendarez is VP of Content for SupplySide and an award-winning journalist. She oversees the editorial and content marketing teams for the B2B media brands Natural Products Insider and Food and Beverage Insider, the education programming for the health and nutrition trade shows SupplySide East and SupplySide West, and community engagement across the SupplySide portfolio. She is a seasoned content strategist with a passion for health, good nutrition, sustainability and inclusion. With over 15 years of experience in the health and nutrition industry, Sandy brings a wealth of knowledge to her role as a content-focused business leader. With specialization in topics ranging from product development to content engagement, creative marketing and c-suite decision making, her work is known for its engaging style and its relevance for business leaders in the health and nutrition industry.

In her free time, Sandy loves running, drinking hot tea and watching her two kids grow up. She brews her own “Sandbucha” homemade kombucha; she’s happy to share if you’re ever in Phoenix!

Awards:

Speaker credentials

Resides in

  • Phoenix, AZ

Education

  • Arizona State University

Contact:

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